March 20, 2022 Russia-Ukraine news

By Helen Regan, Steve George, Ben Church, Luke McGee, Ed Upright, Maureen Chowdhury, Joe Ruiz, Mike Hayes and Amir Vera, CNN

Updated 12:02 a.m. ET, March 21, 2022
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12:08 a.m. ET, March 20, 2022

71 children have been evacuated from an orphanage in Sumy

From CNN's Yulia Shevchenko and Hira Humayun

Seventy-one children from an orphanage in northeastern Ukraine have been evacuated to safety after spending two weeks in a basement sheltering from Russian shelling.

The orphans, many of whom are disabled and all under the age of four, were rescued from their care home in Sumy and taken out of the combat zone through an evacuation corridor, according to Sumy regional governor Dmytro Zhyvytsky.

"For nearly two weeks we’ve been hiding these babies in bomb shelters," Zhyvytsky said in a Facebook post early Sunday. "These are children that have no parents (for various reasons) and most of them require constant medical care," he said.

He said they quickly found people in other countries to take the children in.

According to Zhyvytsky, some of the children remain in the care of specialists of a hospital in Kyiv. 

 "My heartfelt gratitude goes to them for hosting our babies!" he said.

In a video accompanying the post, Borys Todurov, Director of the Heart Institute of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine, said the children were brought to the Kyiv hospital from Sumy a day prior, and that some are going to be sent to Lvivwhile some will stay in Kyiv longer.

12:03 a.m. ET, March 20, 2022

It's 6 a.m. in Kyiv. Here's what you need to know

A new satellite image shows the bombed theater in Mariupol completely destroyed, as the City Council said trapped residents are being taken to Russia against their will. Meanwhile dozens of Ukrainian troops have reportedly died in a strike on a military barracks in Mykolaiv.

Here are the latest developments:

Russia hasn't gained air superiority: Britain's military said Russian forces have still not managed to gain control over Ukraine's airspace. An intelligence assessment provided by the UK's Ministry of Defense said Russia has failed to gain air superiority over Ukraine and is largely depending on stand-off weapons, “launched from the relative safety of Russian airspace to strike targets within Ukraine.”

Mariupol residents forced to go to Russia: Residents of besieged Mariupol are being taken to Russian territory against their will by Russian forces, according to the Mariupol City Council. Captured residents were taken to camps where Russian forces checked their phones and documents, the city council said. They were then redirected to remote Russian cities. The besieged city of Mariupol is under almost constant bombardment, according to a major in Ukraine's army, and residents are rationing food and water as bodies are left in the streets. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said what Russian forces have done to Mariupol is an "act of terror that will be remembered for centuries."

Ukrainian troops killed in missile strike: Rescue efforts are ongoing in the southern city of Mykolaiv at the scene of a missile strike on barracks housing soldiers, regional official Vitalli Kim said. Dozens of troops are reported to have been killed in the attack by Russian forces, according to journalists from CNN Swedish affiliate Expressen who were at the scene.

Russia uses hypersonic missile: US officials confirmed Russia launched hypersonic missiles against Ukraine last week, the first known use of such missiles in combat. Russia claimed it deployed powerful hypersonic missiles on Friday to destroy an ammunition warehouse in western Ukraine.

Russian bombardment of civilians continues: Two children and a women were killed in the eastern town of Rubizhne after being pulled from the rubble of a residential building pummeled by Russian artillery fire, the emergency services said. In Kyiv, a mother covered her one-month-old baby with her body while their home was being shelled, according to the National Children's Specialized Hospital Ohmatdit. The child was unharmed, but the mother sustained multiple injuries, the hospital said. US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said Russia continues to make "incremental gains" in Ukraine's south and has used "brutal, savage techniques'' in the way it has targeted civilians.

More than 6,600 people evacuated via evacuation corridors: At least 6,623 people were rescued via evacuation corridors from besieged Ukrainian cities Saturday, according to Kyrylo Tymoshenko, a senior official in President Volodymyr Zelensky's office. Tymoshenko said 4,128 people, including 1,172 children, were evacuated from Mariupol to Zaporizhzhia. Zelensky said eight evacuation corridors were operating Saturday but due to Russian shelling, authorities were unable to evacuate people from Borodyanka in the Kyiv region. Authorities were also unable to deliver humanitarian aid to the cities in the southern Kherson region.

Zelensky singles out Nestle: Zelensky addressed the Swiss people via video link, calling for Switzerland to take further action against Russia. He singled out Swiss company Nestle, which unlike many other major brands, has not left the Russian market. "Your company that refuses to leave Russia. Even now — when there are threats from Russia to other European countries. Not only to us. When there is even nuclear blackmail from Russia," he said.

12:13 a.m. ET, March 20, 2022

What Russia is doing to Mariupol "will be remembered for centuries," Zelensky says

A long line of cars queue to leave the heavily damaged city of Mariupol following a recent lull on March 17.
A long line of cars queue to leave the heavily damaged city of Mariupol following a recent lull on March 17. (Maximilian Clarke/SOPA/Getty Images)

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the sustained Russian attack on the besieged city of Mariupol is an "act of terror" that will be "remembered for centuries."

In a video message posted to Facebook early Sunday, the Ukrainian President said Mariupol will go down in history as an example of war crimes.

Earlier Saturday, Zelensky addressed the Swiss people via video link, saying Switzerland supported EU sanctions against Moscow and called for Switzerland to take further action against Russia.

“This means a lot for the Russian state apparatus, for the people who are used to thinking that power is money," he said in the Facebook message.

He said he urged Switzerland to take additional steps such as ensuring Swiss companies that have not yet left the Russian market would do so immediately.

“So that they don’t give a single dollar, Franc or Euro to the Russian war machine for killing our people. So that all those who are guilty of war against our country will not be able to enjoy life in Switzerland, the Swiss real estate and the Swiss banks.”

In the Saturday address, Zelensky singled out Swiss company Nestle, which has not left Russia.

"'Good food. Good life.' This is the slogan of Nestlé. Your company that refuses to leave Russia. Even now — when there are threats from Russia to other European countries. Not only to us. When there is even nuclear blackmail from Russia," he said.
12:13 a.m. ET, March 20, 2022

Mother shields baby daughter from shelling, prevents her being harmed, Ukrainian hospital says

From CNN's Jennifer Hauser in Atlanta

Olga and her husband Dmytro at the Ohmatdit Children's Hospital. According to the hospital, Olga covered the baby with her body, miraculously saving her daughter from injuries.
Olga and her husband Dmytro at the Ohmatdit Children's Hospital. According to the hospital, Olga covered the baby with her body, miraculously saving her daughter from injuries. (Ohmatdit Children's Hospital)

A mother covered her one-month-old baby with her body while their home was being shelled in Kyiv, according to a Facebook post from National Children's Specialized Hospital Ohmatdit on Friday.

The child was unharmed, but the mother sustained multiple injuries, the post said.

The child's mother and father were at home feeding their baby in the early morning hours when their building was shelled. They heard the sounds of shelling throughout the night getting closer and closer, the hospital said.

"When I went down to the yard, I saw that a shell had hit the kindergarten next to our house. There is no more ceiling, windows and doors in all the houses nearby. The debris of glass flew right on us," her husband said, according to the hospital.

The father was treated for scraping wounds to his leg and the mother underwent surgery for her injuries. 

A picture of the family in the hospital shows the mother feeding her baby with a large bandage around her head while the father looks on

11:56 p.m. ET, March 19, 2022

US officials confirm Russia launched powerful hypersonic missiles against Ukraine. Here's what we know

US officials confirmed to CNN that Russia launched hypersonic missiles against Ukraine last week, the first known use of such missiles in combat.

Here's what we know about the weapon:

  • Russia's Ministry of Defense said Saturday it had launched hypersonic missiles against a military ammunitions warehouse in western Ukraine on Friday.
  • It said the missiles destroyed the structure in the Ukrainian village of Delyatin. CNN is unable to independently verify this claim. 
  • The defense ministry claimed it used its hypersonic "Kinzhal" missiles.
"On March 18, the Kinzhal aviation missile system with hypersonic aeroballistic missiles destroyed a large underground warehouse of missiles and aviation ammunition of Ukrainian troops in the village of Delyatin, Ivano-Frankivsk region," the ministry said. 

Why were they used?

  • US officials confirmed to CNN that Russia launched hypersonic missiles against Ukraine last week and were able to track the launches in real time.
  • The launches were likely intended to test the weapons and send a message to the West about Russian capabilities, multiple sources told CNN.

What are hypersonic missiles?

  • Traveling at Mach 5 speed or faster (five times the speed of sound), hypersonic missiles fly into space after launch, but then come down and fly on a flight path similar to an airplane.
  • That low trajectory, coupled with high-speed and maneuverability make hypersonic missiles difficult for US missile defense satellites and radars to detect.
  • The Pentagon has made developing hypersonic weapons one of its top priorities, particularly as China and Russia are working to develop their own versions. 
11:56 p.m. ET, March 19, 2022

Ukraine claims another Russian general killed during heavy fighting in southern Ukraine

From CNN's Tim Lister

A Ukrainian attack on an airfield in the south of the country last week killed a Russian general, according to the Ukrainian military's General Staff.

Amid heavy fighting between the cities of Mykolaiv and Kherson, Ukrainian forces carried out an attack on the airport at Chornobayivka, just north of Kherson, on Wednesday.

The airport was occupied by Russian forces and served as a forward command post of Russia's 8th Guards Combined Arms Army, according to Ukrainian officials.

Images and video geolocated by CNN showed three helicopters and multiple vehicles on fire at the airport.

Soon after the attack, Ukraine's Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov said, "Burning enemy helicopters in Chornobayivka in the Kherson region is a demonstration of what is now happening to the occupying forces."

Ukraine's General Staff later said, "according to preliminary data" Russian Lieutenant-General Andrei Mordvichev, commander of the 8th Guards, had been killed.

CNN cannot independently verify the Ukrainian claim. Ukraine says that five Russian generals have been killed since the invasion began on Feb. 24.

11:56 p.m. ET, March 19, 2022

Two children killed in shelled building collapse during Russia’s attack in eastern Ukraine

From CNN's Andrew Carey, Oleksandra Ochman, Olga Voitovych and Yulia Kesaieva

While Ukraine’s army reported little in the way of offensive operations by Russian forces around Kyiv and in parts of the south on Saturday, further east fighting continued to rage.

Two children were killed in the town of Rubizhne after being pulled from the rubble of a residential building pummeled by Russian artillery fire, the emergency services said. 

A woman also died in the same building collapse; her daughter survived and was in a stable condition.

Some context: Rubizhne is part of a cluster of small towns and villages that remain in Ukrainian hands but lie close to two breakaway pro-Russian statelets inside eastern Ukraine.

The Ukrainian army’s most recent assessment of the war makes clear they are seen as a current focus of Russia’s campaign in the east — to link the two strongholds around Luhansk and Donetsk with territorial gains made to the northwest in the region around Kharkiv.

Saturday’s daily update from the army’s central command — released in the early afternoon — reported a series of Russian offensives with “the main efforts focused on attempts to capture Severodonetsk, Rubizhne and Popasna.”

Further deaths and destruction: On Friday, four people were killed and ten others injured as Russian artillery opened up across a series of communities in the region, local Ukrainian authorities said. 

Regional head Serhii Haidai said a total of 54 buildings had been hit, including 19 apartment blocks and two health care centers.

Some 23 towns and villages were without gas supplies and 26 were without electricity by the day’s end.

Many of those wounded in recent days were among 700 people evacuated through a humanitarian corridor on Saturday, Haidai reported. 

3:57 a.m. ET, March 20, 2022

Mariupol residents forced to go to Russia against their will, city council says

From Olga Voitovch in Lviv

Residents of Mariupol, Ukraine, are being taken to Russian territory against their will by Russian forces, according to a statement Saturday from the Mariupol City Council.

“Over the past week, several thousand Mariupol residents have been taken to Russian territory. The occupiers illegally took people from the Livoberezhny district and from the shelter in the sports club building, where more than a thousand people (mostly women and children) were hiding from the constant bombing,” the statement read.

Captured Mariupol residents were taken to camps where Russian forces checked their phones and documents, the city council said, and then were redirected to remote Russian cities.

The besieged city is under almost constant bombardment, according to a major in Ukraine's army, and residents are rationing food and water as bodies are left in the streets.

There are also conflicting reports over the status of one of Ukraine’s key industrial facilities, the Azov steel plant, in Mariupol. New satellite imagery shows the destruction of the city's bombed theater, with the word "children" clearly visible on the outside of the building.

The statement quoted Mariupol Mayor Vadym Boichenko, who said, "What the occupiers are doing today is familiar to the older generation, who saw the horrific events of World War II, when the Nazis forcibly captured people.”

t is hard to imagine that in the 21st century people can be forcibly taken to another country," he added.

11:55 p.m. ET, March 19, 2022

New satellite image shows massive damage to Mariupol theater after bombing

From CNN's Andrew Carey in Lviv

This satellite image shows a damaged theater in Mariupol, Ukraine, which was bombed earlier in the week.
This satellite image shows a damaged theater in Mariupol, Ukraine, which was bombed earlier in the week. (Maxar Technologies)

A new satellite image shows the state of the destruction of a theater in Mariupol when it was bombed three days ago.

An image taken Saturday by the Maxar Technologies satellite imagery provider shows about two-thirds of the building completely destroyed, with just the western façade still standing.

Still clearly visible in the photo is the Russian word for "children" painted in large letters on the ground in front of the entrance.

The theater was being used as a shelter as well as the city’s main humanitarian assembly, according to authorities. Estimates of the number of people inside at the time of the attack range from 800 to 1,300.

Early reports the morning after the strike suggested the building’s bomb shelter had survived, but reports of efforts to rescue survivors have been difficult to ascertain.

Communications in the besieged city have been sporadic for days, and rescue work has been hampered by the danger of near-continuous shelling, according to reports from inside the city.

Initial reports suggested many survivors had to dig themselves out of the rubble.

Various Ukrainian officials have put the number of survivors at 130, with one person described as having serious injuries.